A Call to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages in Montreal

Mayor Denis Coderre has called for mandatory veterinary check-ups for Caleche horses after a horse slipped and fell on a metal plate downtown Tuesday.

 

Allegedly, the incident occurred when an inexperienced driver attempted to take an empty carriage through a construction site during rush hour. 

 

According to Global News, the incident has re-ignited the debate over whether or not the famous horse-drawn carriages should still be legal in Montreal.

 

A Brossard store manager who witnessed the event, Tara Schulz, sent photos of the fallen horse to the Anti-Caleche Defense Coalition Facebook page, a grassroots movement asking for the retirement of Caleche horses in Montreal.

 

At the time of the incident on Wednesday, Schulz says the temperature outside was exceeding 30 degrees.

 

The Anti-Caleche Defense Coalition is asking Coderre to shut down Lucky Luc stables, which has been criticized online for neglecting it's horses, and is circulating a petition to have the practice banned in the city. So far, the petition has gained over 4, 000 of it's required 10, 000 signatures.

 

Animal rights activists have been long insisting that the practice is cruel to the animals and constitutes abuse.

 

 

 

The petition can be found at: https://www.change.org/p/ban-horse-drawn-carriages-in-montr%C3%A9al

 

The Anti-Caleche Defense Coalition Facebook page can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/anticalechedefensecoalition